


Her Vanilla Perfume

by Yulicia



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Suspected Infidelity, but not really, miscommunication and misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-16 01:24:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10561028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yulicia/pseuds/Yulicia
Summary: After a misunderstanding occurs, Hux suspects Ren of finding his kicks elsewhere within his crew.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i'm so tired and my laptop battery is nearly dead just take this. please take my garbage.

It had all started relatively innocently.

“Ren,” Hux yelled from the refresher, “I have something I need to ask you.”

Stirring from his place in Hux’s (their?) bed Ren leaned back on his elbows and waited for Hux to re-enter the bedroom. He knew Hux wouldn’t bother trying to have an actual conversation with Ren with him in another room. It was inefficient and if there was anything Hux hated it was inefficiency.

Hux peaked through the refresher door, his hair still un-gelled; a look that Ren decided strangely suited the General.

“There is a First Order Gala coming up soon,” Hux started, “It’ll be very boring, lots of officials who want my attention.”

Ren quirked an eyebrow, “Fascinating,” he said, his voice flat and monotonous.

“Ren, let me finish,” Hux snapped, “I was wondering if you were interested in accompanying me? You _are_ co-commander of this vessel.”

Ren considered the invitation. Did he really want to spend who knows how long listening to First Order officers droning on about diplomacy and politics? Not really. Did he want to see Hux in formal dress instead of his dull uniform, something intended to be beautiful as well as intimidating instead of utilitarian? Little bit.

“Need a bodyguard, General?” Ren teased.

Hux scoffed, “Of course not, I can handle myself and I’ll thank you to remember that. Clearly you have no interest.”

Ren jumped up so he was sitting on the bed, “No, I’m interested. When is this gala?”

“A few weeks from now,” Hux said before pausing, “Are you sure? There will be dancing involved.”

Ren chocked on his own saliva, “Dancing?”

Hux’s brows furrowed, “Yes, Ren, dancing. Do you not know how to dance?”

Ren’s eyes darted to the right, “Of course I do.”

“Excellent. And I assume you have a uniform around too? You were given one.”

Ren swallowed, “Yes, obviously I have a uniform. I definitely know where it is,” he said, confidently knowing that he didn’t know where’d he’d put the uniform he was given several years ago.

A ghost of a smile crossed Hux’s features, “You are exceeding my expectations, Ren. I thought I would have to order you a new uniform and teach you how to dance,” Hux barked a laugh, “What a ridiculous notion.”

Hux quickly finished up in the refresher and headed to the bridge. He’d already wasted enough time with Ren this morning. The moment Hux left the room Ren let out a deep sigh.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, “What a ridiculous notion.”

* * *

 

Ren had been acting strange since Hux had brought up the gala. He’d been reclusive, barely speaking to Hux when they were together, something clearly on his mind. He’d occasionally stare off into nothingness, which while nothing new for Ren, was happening at an alarming frequency.  It’d been four standard cycles since the discussion that fateful morning and every day it seemed as if Ren was losing more and more interest in Hux. Hux had brushed it off as Ren being Ren, and continued to go rather regularly about his duties.

Until Ren came back to their quarters smelling distinctly of vanilla.

“Ren,” Hux said, pulling away from what was turning out to be a surprising (but not unwelcome) make-out session, “ Why do you smell like vanilla?”

“Uh, new conditioner,” Ren said unconvincingly.

Hux tilted his head in confusion, “I haven’t seen anything new in the refresher,”  

Ren coughed, “Does it matter? Would you not rather be…” Ren dipped to kiss his jawline, “.. focusing on something far more entertaining?” he purred.

Hux sighed in pleasure, “I suppose not. Carry on.”

_It was probably nothing to be worried about_ , Hux reasoned.

* * *

 

Ren had continued to be as aloof as he had been for the past cycles, dodging questions and being generally suspicious. He returned from training late in the night almost every night, usually exhausted and sporting a strained muscle of some kind nearly every night.

Hux continued stalwartly through his duties, deciding to ignore his feeling that something was very wrong.

Until he smelled that scent again. The vanilla that Ren had reeked of that night.

On _Phasma._

“Captain.”

Phasma immediately turned at her title, standing at attention, “Yes, sir?”

“Are you wearing perfume?”

Phasma titled her head in confusion, her mask hiding any facial expressions, “I am, sir.”

Hux hummed, “Is it what you always wear?”

“Yes, sir. Pardon me for asking, sir, but why the sudden interest in my fragrance?”

Hux was reeling. There was only one way Hux could think that Phasma’s perfume would have gotten all over Ren. Ren was sleeping with Phasma. Hux took a deep breath, finding that that realisation hurt him far more than he had thought it would. He’d suspected Ren might find other partners amongst the ship’s crew; surely Hux was not enough to keep the Knight satisfied. His chest tightened and his eyes stung. He didn’t like this feeling.

“It’s… nice,” he said, his voice sounding distant to his own ears.

_This might be something to worry about._

* * *

 

It took three more cycles for Hux to muster the courage to confront Ren.

Ren returned long after Hux’s shift had ended, as he had lately. He’d been trying to be quiet, and was visibly startled at seeing Hux awake on the bed rather than asleep as he usually was at his hour.  

“Ren, we need to talk,” Hux said seriously. His entire being was stiff, his lip curled into a snarl.

Ren seemed confused, “What about?”

“Have you been sleeping with my Stormtrooper Captain?” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ren’s eyes widened, “Hux, what are you talking about?”

Hux snapped, “Have you been fucking Captain Phasma?”

Ren spluttered, “Of course I haven’t! What’s gotten into you?!”

“Don’t play dumb. You’ve been coming back late every cycle. I’ve smelled her perfume on you. If I wasn’t enough you might of well have just told me instead of making me find out like this.”

Hux, annoyingly, felt his eyes begin to sting once again. He blinked rapidly, breathing heavily through his nose.

“I didn’t want you to find out at all,” Ren said, running his hand through his hair, “It’s embarrassing.”

Hux saw red.

“What do you mean it’s embarrassing!? What have you been doing to her?!”

Ren chocked, “No, no, no I don’t mean that! I’m not sleeping with Phasma!”

“Then why do you reek of her?”

Ren took a deep breath, steeling himself.

“Hux. She’s teaching me how to dance.”   

Hux was taken aback, “Why do you need dancing lessons?”

Ren sighed, a growl creeping into the sound.

“Because of your damn gala! I lied! I don’t know how to dance! I didn’t want to tell you so I went behind your back and asked Phasma to teach me so that I could,” Ren faltered, “So I could impress you.”

He wasn’t sleeping with her. Ren was taking dancing lessons. With his Captain. Because he wanted to impress him.  The information conflicted so extremely with the story Hux had created in his head it took a solid few seconds of silence for him to absorb it all.

“Oh,” he said dumbly. He was such a fool. “I. I apologise.”

Ren laughed, the noise bordering on hysterical, “You’re not angry?”

“You wanted to impress me?” Hux asked ignoring Ren, still disbelieving that Ren _wanted to impress him_. The most impressively powerful man in the galaxy wanted to impress _him._ He’d had subordinates try to win his favour through grand gestures and buttery speeches laced with flattery but he’s never had anyone he cared about go out of their way to impress him.

“Of course I did. You seemed so pleased when I said I knew how to dance that I felt guilty for lying,” Ren said, walking slowly towards Hux until they could feel each other’s breath on their skin. He took gently cupped Hux’s cheeks.  

“So you’re not… engaged… with anyone else?” Hux asked, learning cautiously into the touch.

Ren laughed, “You’re more than enough, dear.”

There was a beat of silence.

“You don’t have a uniform either do you?”

“…I may have misplaced it.”   

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr as stardestroyervigilance!


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